68 olds 455 all stock 44,000 miles . My question is are these numbers normal and what kind of picture does this paint ?


Running Rotella t4 15w-40 . Outside temp is 40 F

Operating temp is reading 190 F

Jegs gauge reads about 50-65 lbs cold start.

40-50 mph at operating temp it’s reading 25 psi

idle at operating temp is somewhere around 7-10 psi would be my guess
problem is the intervals on the gauge don’t really read that low but the needle is not sitting on the peg of the gauge so I know there’s some pressure.

 

I’ve seen it vary.
At least 10psi per 1000rpm.
I know it seems scary when you’re idling at 700rpms…but I’ve seen a lot of engines bounce off zero at idle.

 

^^^this.

 

Put a different gauge on it to rule out gauge inaccuracy.

If the 2nd gauge confirms the numbers, next time you change the oil cut open the filter with tin snips. Look inside the pleats for copper/brass debris. If you have bearing issues, that’s where you will see it.

Has the timing chain ever been replaced? If not, you can almost guarantee most of the nylon has broken off of the cam gear and is now on the oil pump pickup. The oil pump is almost certainly restricted, causing oil starvation and bearing wear.

If it’s not making any noise, you might be able to drop the oil pan and replace the bearings. Personally, I’d run it until there are more serious problems. It might run along time.

 

x2.👍

 

I had similar numbers in my '69 that had 115k on it. The hot idle numbers were concerning.

I decided on a rebuild to be safe. Nothing notable on the tear down other than expected wear and age.

My rebuild included restrictors in the mains, restrictive push rods and a high volume oil pump.

My oil pressure is now above 60 under all conditions.

 

My oil gauge stopped working about a year ago, so I picked up a tester at Harbor Freight. Mine is reading 38 to 40 psi at idle after 15 minutes of warm-up. If I rev the engine it tops out at about 65. This seems a bit high but I really don't know.